Hat-carrier.



a. .11. WHEABL HAT OARRIER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNEfi, 1909.

Patented Nov. 9, 1909.

a'i wentov wanna GEORGE H. WHEARY, 0F RAGINE, WISCONSIN.

HAT-CARRIER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 1909.

Application filed June 5, 1909. Serial No. 500,295.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. WHIEARY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Racine, in the county of Racine and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Hat-Carrier, of which the following is a specification. 1 This invention relates to improvements in devices for maintaining hats in position within trays of trunks or other receptacles, and the object of the invention is to provide a device of simple construction which may be readily attached to and detached from the receptacle by the use of which the hat will be supported in such a position that it will not be damaged during transportation. The invention is fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and consists in certain novel features of the device shown therein, as will be hereinafter first fully described and then particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, to which reference has been made, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the hat holder in its operative position, indicating by dotted lines the manner of removing the holder from the tray. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the holding arms and the socket plate by which the said arms are held to the cushion. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a modification.

The tray or receptacle 1 is of the usual construction and forms no part of my present invention. Upon the bottom of the tray I secure keepers or brackets 2 which are disposed on converging lines and consist of a central raised portion 3 and securinge'ars 4 at the ends of the said raised portion through which fastening devices, such as headed nails 5, are inserted into the bottom of the tray. The cushion 6, of a suitable size to fit within the crown of the hat, is

employed, and the said cushion is built up on a circular block 7, constituting the base of the same, to which a socket 8 is secured. This socket 8 consists of'a circular plate having its central portion dished and'provided with an annular flange 9 through which suitable screws or other fastening devices are inserted into the block 7 so as to secure the socket thereon, the said flange being divided at one point, as indicated at 10, and the edges of this divided portion are turned downward to form stops 11 which register with an opening or mouth 12 in the side of the dished portion of the socket. Within the socket is seated a circular spring loop 13, from which diverging arms 14 pass outward through the mouth 12 and between the stops 11, as clearly shown, the said arms being provided at intermediate points of their lengths'with the outturned olf-sets 15, whichare adapted to engage under the keepers or brackets 2, and thereby retain the device in position on the bottom of the tray, the arms extending outward from the said off-sets and having their ends provided with the loops or coils 16 for convenience in grasping the arms in the operation of the device. I

The use of the device will be readily appreciated The off-set portions of the diverging spring arms are engaged under the keepers or brackets 2, and the cushion will be thereby firmly held at the center of the tray. The hat is placed over the cushion and secured thereto by hat pins or other means, and may then be transported without any fear of damage. Should it be desired to remove the hat from the tray without removing it from the cushion, the ends of the spring arms are pressed together thereby disengaging the ofl sets 15 from the brackets or keepers 2, whereupon the entire device may be lifted from the tray to permit inspection of the hat without handling of the hat itself. This removability of the device also facilitates the placing of the hat within the tray, as it may be secured to the cushion and the cushion with the attached hat placed in position within the tray and secured by merely releasing the spring holding arms so as to permit the oil-sets thereof to engage the keepers or brackets. Inasmuch as the hat holder is not permanently attached to the tray, the tray may be used for another purpose when it is not desired to transport a hat.

Should it be desired to ship a hat with a very high crown, the construction illustrated in Fig. 3 may be employed. In this construction, the spring holding arms are so bent as to provide the intermediate arms 17 between the spring head and the off-sets so that when the arms are in position on the bottom of a tray and engaging the keepers or brackets the cushion will be held above the tray, as will be readily understood. In order to lend additional stability to the device in this form of the invention, I employ an additional support 18 consisting of a U- shaped leg or bracket, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, which is secured to the bottom of the cushion, as will be readily understood. In this figure I have shown the head, to which the spring holding arms lead, as secured to the bottom of the cushion by means of attaching plates passed over the head and secured to the block. This arrangement may be employed instead of the socket shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but I prefer the socket for the reason that it permits a slight play of the cushion upon the head of the holding arms, which will frequently be found advantageous in placing the hat within the tray.

The device is very simple in its construction, is easily manipulated and is very eflicient for the purpose for which it is intended.

Having thus described my invention, wha I claim is 1. The combination with a receptacle, 0f keepers on the bottom of the same, a hat support, and holding arms attached to said support and projecting from the side of the same, the projecting portions of the holding arms extending between the keepers and having lateral offsets engaging the same.

2. The combination with a receptacle, of keepers on the bottom of the same, a hat support, and holding arms having a spring head attached to the under side of the hat support, the said arms projecting from said head laterally beyond the hat support and between the keepers and provided with lateral offsets to engage the keepers.

The combination with a receptacle, of a hat support, a socket on the bottom of said support having an opening at one side and provided with stops at the ends of said opening, diverging spring arms having a head seated within the said socket passing through the said opening and provided with lateral offsets, and keepers in the receptacle arranged to be engaged by the said (iii-sets.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEO. lil. VVI-IEARY.

Witnesses CLINT D. Fmznnn, MAX BLooiI. 

